Fast, Easy: Smokey Eye Look

My favorite smokey eye look. This is really simple to do, it actually only uses one eye shadow! This one-shadow look is great for hooded eyes like mine; I don’t have much lid space for too many shadows at once. I used the Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in the shade Bad to the Bronze. (The metallic look of this shadow allows it to look like you have on more than one once you blend it out). I have several of these Color Tattoo shadows because they are so easy to use. In this image, Bad to the Bronze is the bottom shade.

Here is my fast, easy (5 steps), beautiful smokey eye look!

Step 1: Prime Lids

You can use any primer you’d like, my favorite is the Benefit Stay Don’t Stray in the shade light/medium. You don’t have to use primer, but it definitely makes a difference in how long your eyeshadow stays put! There are many options for eyeshadow primer as far as price; and now just about every brand makes their own.

Step 2: Tightline Upper Lid/Apply Eyeshadow

Use your favorite khol pencil or eyeliner to tightline your upper eyelid. To do this, gently lift your eyelid up so you can see where your lashes meet your eyelid and apply the eyeliner there. If you’re still unsure about this, do a quick Google search 🙂 This makes lashes appear thicker, and it does not take away eyelid space (great for hooded eyes)! You can line your lower lash line if you’d like, but personally I skip that step since it makes my eyes look smaller. Next, use your finger to apply eyeshadow to your eyelid to just above your crease. You can pat the eyeshadow on your lid to make it more pigmented, and drag it up slightly from there. This part can be pretty messy since it is going to get blended out!

Step 3: Blend, Blend, Blend…Then Blend Some More

Use a blending brush to blend out the line at your crease, up and out. Blending is very important for this look, especially if you don’t want any harsh lines. The idea is to get the eyeshadow to fade out. Blend, blend, blend! Put your brush in the outer corner of your eyelid crease like it is here, and use windshield-wiper motions to go along your crease and soften the edge of the shadow. For hooded eyes like mine: blend with your eye open! This way you can see the part of your lid you will actually still see with your eye open, and you can blend the shadow up past that point.

Step 4: Smudge Shadow Along Lower Lashline

Next, with any small/tapered blending brush, pick up a bit more eyeshadow, and smudge it along your lower lashline, concentrating the color at the outside of you eye and blending in/fading it out toward the center.

Step 5: Curl Lashes and Apply Mascara

Use any eyelash curler and mascara you’d like! Today I used a few coats of the FiberWig mascara I talked about in my must-have post, it is pretty natural-looking but gives you LOTS of length! When I’m in a big hurry, I’ll use a more volumizing mascara like Better Than Sex so it is one swipe and you’re done.

That’s it!

5 easy steps to a really pretty, really simple smokey eye look that anyone can do! Of course you can add on from here by using a highlight at your brow bone, you can add winged liner, lots of options to make it your own!

Remember, makeup is all about personal expression and there is no one type of beauty. If you try this look, let me know how it goes, tag my IG page! Leave comments, questions, or requests below. Thank you for reading, have fun!